Potato grader



s, A. ADAMSON.

POTATO GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 2| 92l.Y

1,499 3 5 3 o Patented Mar. 14, 1922.'.

l POTATO G'RADER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2| I92I.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s.. A. A'DAMSON.

PoTATo GRADER. APPLICATION FILED NOV..'2, I92I.

mma Mar.y 14, 1922..

`l lll a l I 3mm/Hoz Mttomwb.

S. A. ADAMSON.

Porno GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV@ Z I92I.` 1,409,353,V Patented Mar. 14, 1922.`

4 SHEETS-sues? 4.

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UNITED STATES SETH A. ADAMSON, OF DELL; RAPIDS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

POTATOj GRADER.

T 0y all whom t may concern Be it known that. I, SETH ADAMSON, aY

citizen of the United lStates, residing at Dell Rapids, in the county ofMinnehaha and Sta-te of South Dakota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Potato Graders, ofrwhich the'following is aspecitication, referencebeing had therein to the accompanyingv drawings.Y

This invention relates to a potato grader and the object of theVinvention is the provision of simple andetficient means for grading andcleaning potatoes. Y

Another object of the invention is` the construction cf a rotatablecylinder which is provided with means for allowing different sizepotatoes to be handled, grading the potatoes at the will of theoperator, by adjusting the rods or barsl of the cylinder. u 'V With theforegoing 'Y and other objects in view, my inventioncomprises certainnovel constructions and arrangements of parts as'will be hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawingnl and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.` Y Aln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a. view inside elevation ofanv apparatus constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

lFigure 2 is' allongitudinal, sectional view ktaken `on line 2 2, Fig.3, and looking inA the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a paratus. l

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, sectional View of the cylindertalen on line.4 4, Figf, with the clamping bands removed, and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional viewtaken on line'.

. 5 5, (Fig. 4, with the clamping band in .placean'dv looking in thedirection of the arrows. l l Figure `6 is a view taken on llne 6 6,looking in the direction oi the arrows. l

Figure 7 is a view taken'on line 7 7,.Fig.

-2,- and lool ing inthe directionofsthe arrows.

Figure 8 is a view taken on line 8 8,

Fig. 2,-and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the chute.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10 10, Fig. 9, and lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Specification of Letters Patent. ,APa-tentgd. R131-, Application meaNovember 2,1921. semaine. 512,301.

Figure 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view of one ofthe end bandsof the i cylinder.

Referring tothe. drawings' by numerals, 1

`designates the frame to the rear end of which isattached the elevatingconveyor 2, and to the front end of the frame is .connected thedischarge conveyor 3. u y Y The elevating conveyor 2 includes theslatted belt 3a dischargin'gat its upper lend into chute 4. Chute 4(Figs. 9 and 10) comprises inwardly curved sides 5 g' each `sidebe- Iing provided with integral bearing rings 6,

throughwhich sides and rings-G'eXtend boltsV 7, fastening the chute to.thev frame 1. The forward'ends of the sides 5 of the chuteV 4 are curveddownwardly and inwardlyat 5a,

Vand attached tothe forward ends 5 is an `,The cylinder .9' includescentral shaft 10j sto which, by means of barsr 11, end bands 12 arefixedly secured.` Each band V12lis .pro-

vided with staggered, elongated slots"13,`into the ends of whichslotsextend theright-angular positioned ends 14 ot bars or rods 15.Cotter pins 1G extendcthrough the right-angular positioned ends 14 oirods 15, lholding the rodsVV in position upon the end bands, Ybutallowing the rods to .be adjusted withiny the .elongated slots 13,wherebyl the contiguous top plan view of the ap A for allowing largerori'smaller potatoes Yto vfall through, as the potatoesy are rotated`rods may beplaced closer or farther apart within the cylinder 9, passingfrom its upper end to its lower end, during their travel throughtheapparatus. After the rods are adjusted upon the endbands, to obtainthe desired distances between contiguous rods,'I place clampingbandsftFig.Y 5) 17 around the end bands 12; and `eachclamping band is' Ysplit,` and contiguous to itsv split end are apertureol .lugs 18,through :which `extends bolt'19'; bolt 19 is employed, together'with nut20,jfortightly.clampingband 17 down upon the ,outerr ends of the rods15,whereby the cylinder 9.

The discharge conveyor 3 isprovided with a rod 21 that rests in anglebrackets 22.` By

lifting the rod 2l ott bracket 22, the discharge conveyor can be removedfrom frame l. A stop plate 23 is arranged on the lower' end of conveyor3, for preventing the potatoes from falling off the conveyor, as theyare discharged from cylinder 9. 24, passing over pulley 25, is employedtor raising or lowering-the upper end of the discharge conveyor 3.Pulley 25 is supported in a slot 26 formed in the standard 27, whichstandard is secured by bolts 28 between angle brackets 29; brackets 29are fastened at their base, by means ot bolts 30, to the top ot the:trame l.

Suitable means 3l, Fig. 3, is provided for driving the elevatingconveyor 2, cylinder 9 and discharge conveyor 3 in unison.

The upper end of shaft l0 is journaled in the inclined bearing 32, whichbearing 32 is fastened to the inclined, lowerv face oi brace 33, Fig. 2.The lower end of the shatt l() is journaled in the angle bracket-bearingSe, which bracket-bearing is supported upon brace 35. Suitable gearing36, (Fig. 2) is provided for rotating cylinder 9, in unison with theother cooperating parts of the apparatus, as hereinbetore stated.

The potatoes are placed uponbelt 3 ot the elevating conveyor 2 and arethence conveyed to chute 4t, whereupon they are discharged in thegrading and cleaning cylinder 9. After being thrown about'in thecylinder 9, resulting in dirt falling off the potatoes, as well as thesmaller potatoes being thrown through the rods, thelarger potatoes willbe discharged onto the discharge rconveyor 3 and then conveyed to theouter end of said conveyor, whereupon the potatoes can be dischargedinto a store-house or loin, or into a wagon, or the lilre. V

`While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention andhave illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, certain minorchanges or alterations may appear to one skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates, during the extensive manufacture of the same andI, therefore, reserve the right to make! such alterations or changes assha-ll 'fairly tall within the scope of the appended claims.

' That I claim is:

l. ln an apparatusoi' the class described,

i the combination with a frame, of a rotatable cylindercarried by saidframe, said v cjf'linder comprising a shaft, end bands virzedly securedto 'said shaft, rods adjustably mounted upon said endbands, andmeansholding said rods in adjusted set positions upon the bands, duringthe rotationcf 'the cylinder,

as and for the purposes set forth.

A cable 2. ln an apparatus ot the class described, the combination witha frame, of a rotatable cylinder supported by said trame, said cylinderincluding end bands provided with elongated slots, rods adjustablymounted in said slots, means for retaining said rods in adjusted setpositions in said slots during the rotation of said cylinder, as and forthe purposes set forth. e

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aframe,of a cylinder rotatably mounted on said frame and'comp'iising end bands,said bands provided with staggered elongated slots, rods provided withright-angle ends extending through the slots, cotter pins in saidextending ends against the outer faces of the bands, clamping bandsaround the end 'bands' and bearing against the extended ends of the rodsfor holding the rods in adjusted set positions upon the end bands duringthe rota- Jtion of the cylinder, as 'and for the purposes set forth.y

4. ln an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a frame, of a rotatable cylinder mounted upon saidframe, said cylinder comprising end bands, rods adjustably mounted'uponsaid end bands, and demountable clamping bands around the end bands andengaging the rods for holding the rods in adjusted set positions uponsaid end bands during the rotation of the cylinder, as and for the"purposes set forth.

5. in an apparatus of the class described, f

the combination with a frame, of a cylinder rotatably mounted on saidframe, said cylinder comprising end bands having circumiferentiallyextending slots, adjustable rods having their ends projecting throughsaid slots, clamping bands engaging the rods for holding the rods inadjusted set positions, during the rotation of the cylinder, as and forthe purposes set forth.

6. In an apparatus o't the class described,r

the combination withy a frame, of' a cylinder rotatably mounted on saidframe and comprising end bands, said bands having'circuniterentiallyextending staggered slots,

longitudinally extending rods havingright-f1 sETH anna-Mson.

